BOYCOTT the strawberries of Manolada Greece

Dozens of migrant workers, mostly from Bangladesh, working under modern slavery conditions in the strawberry fields in Manolada Greece, demanded yesterday to be paid for the past 6 months.

Their Greek employers took out their hunting rifles and shot at them wounding 34 of them who are now in the hospital.

Actually, one of the perpetrators is the same person who, in the summer of 2009, tied two migrant workers to his motorbike and dragged them in the streets of the town because he thought they had stolen some sheep.

The greek police is arresting the hospitalised victims and intends to deport them because they do not have papers while the three perpetrators have not still been located…

According to an older article by Makis Noudaros, these migrant workers live and work under modern slavery conditions. They do not have papers and thus are the victims of utter exploitation; they earn about 23 euro per day but have to pay more than half of it for protection and accommodation in inhumane conditions.

Journalists are not allowed in the fields without escort and many have reported being attacked and chased away.

The same happens to thelocal people that dare to accuse the estate owners. They actually talk about a well organised criminal group with hierarchy and paid henchmen who terrorise and beat the workers who dare resist.

Obviously, without the state and the local authorities turning a blind eye, none of this would be happening!

Actually, one of the perpetrators is the same person who, in the summer of 2009, tied two migrant workers to his motorbike and dragged them in the streets of the town because he thought they had stolen some sheep.

This area produces 90% of the national production of strawberries; 40% of that goes to the domestic market and the rest is exported to the UK, Russia, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria and Rumania. The biggest company is Vangelatos SA.

The working conditions in the strawberry fields and greenhouses, especially in the summer, are inhumane and so are the living conditions; the migrant workers are forced to live in shacks that look exactly like greenhouses. These are located far away from the village; they sit and sleep on wooden pallets, there is no running potable water, toilet facilities and electricity. A make shift well in the open air is used for personal hygiene with waste water remaining there; this same water is used for drinking and cooking.

And for this, they are forced to pay almost half of their salary.

FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC OUTCRY, NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, AND IN THE FACE OF A CONSUMER BOYCOTT, THE RETAILERS THAT DISTRIBUTE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM VANGELATOS SA HAVE WITHDRAWN SAID PRODUCTS FROM THEIR SUPERMARKETS! Lidl, Sklavenitis, Metro, Ok Markets and AB Basilopoulos have all e-mailed the blog bloodstrawberries that started the campaign.

Update: We need information about the companies that are selling products of “Vangelatos SA” outside of Greece. If you have any information or you have any clues concerning their activities abroad contact bloodstrawberries

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